Local & Regional

10:08 am

Sun April 18, 2010

Inhofe to Oppose Treaty

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said a treaty signed by President Barack Obama and Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev to limit nuclear weapons faces a hard battle in the Senate, "and I'll lead the opposition to it."

Inhofe, R-Okla., visited Lawton Friday for a dedication of a new facility at nearby Fort Sill.

He said after the ceremony that it will be difficult for Obama to muster the 67 votes needed to ratify the treaty, which shrinks the U.S. and Russian nuclear warhead limit by about a third, to 1,550.

Inhofe said opposition would come from Democrats as well as Republicans, though he said some "mushy Republicans" may support it.